Soldier remembered for sacrifice, patriotism

PHOTOGRAPHER: Ana Zangroniz

Hassan Naqvi, right, is comforted by a family member as he listens to Iman Hashim Raza, left, say a prayer over the body of his brother Mohsin Naqvi at Evergreen Memorial Park in Colonie Monday. Mohsin Naqvi, a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army, was kill

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Nasar Naqvi took a handful of dirt and tossed it carefully onto his son’s coffin.

It was a final goodbye for Mohsin Naqvi, a U.S. Army second lieutenant who was among four soldiers killed on Sept. 17 when their Humvee was struck by a roadside bomb in eastern Afghanistan.

But it was also a moment for the grieving father to urge understanding from people who distrust Muslims living in the United States.

“We are patriotic Americans,” he said after his son’s funeral Monday. “We are proud to be Americans … but still, people don’t trust us.”

Naqvi, 26, was buried following a solemn ceremony at the al-Fatima Islamic Center, where

scores of mourners recited Shia Muslim prayers beside his coffin, draped with an American flag. Afterward, a procession of hundreds followed a hearse carrying his body to Evergreen Memorial Park, where he was buried with full military honors.

The service was in Muslim tradition, with men mourning separately from the women. At the graveside the casket was opened briefly and family members placed their hands on his shrouded body and whispered prayers. Then the lid was closed and he was lowered into the grave.

Naqvi’s widow, Raazia, 20, wailed as she watched her husband’s coffin descend, but regained her composure just long enough to place a handful of soil over the grave. She was married to him the day before he deployed to Afghanistan in July.

Born in Pakistan, Naqvi immigrated to the United States with his family when he was 8. He became a naturalized citizen at 16 and joined the Army Reserve just four days after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

As an Urdu-speaking Muslim-American, Naqvi considered himself in a unique position to bridge the gap between the United States and Muslims. Still, his father said the young recruit was initially met with suspicion by his fellow soldiers, who sometimes taunted him about his Muslim heritage.

Naqvi was deployed to Iraq as an Army reservist during the initial invasion in 2003. He returned to the United States about nine months later and completed a degree in computer science from the Rochester Institute of Technology. While completing his degree, Naqvi enrolled in the Army’s Reserve Officer Training Corps and was later commissioned as a second lieutenant. He was stationed with the 199th Infantry Brigade in Fort Benning, Ga., before deploying to Afghanistan over the summer.

Naqvi is among 129 U.S. soldiers who have died in Afghanistan this year. Renewed hostilities have made this year the deadliest since U.S. forces entered the country.

“He did the best he could because he sacrificed his life,” his father said. “He’s down there in that grave under tons of dirt. What else can you ask?”

Syed Anwar Naqvi, an uncle, spoke of his nephew’s sacrifice with pride. Tears welled in his eyes as he recalled the last image he had of Naqvi, enshrouded in his coffin and looking as innocent as he did when he was a young boy living with him in Ohio nearly 20 years ago

“I am proud of him for what he did,” he said. “His sacrifice is not going to go in vain.”

The uncle also called for more compassion and communication among the world community. He urged leaders to search for the cause of the violence, so other families won’t need to feel the pain of burying a relative.

“We should put an end to it,” he said. “That’s what Mohsin was doing.”

Throughout the service, Hassan Naqvi wore one of his older brother’s dog tags. In the days before he deployed, Naqvi gave the tag to his brother, a student at the University at Albany.

“I told him to take care of himself,” the younger brother said as he held back tears.

Family members said Naqvi, a graduate of the Newburgh Free Academy, was buried in Colonie so his widow and his sister, Tasneem Ali, could visit his grave from their home in Mechanicville. Last week, family and friends hosted a special prayer service at the Mid-Hudson Islamic Association in Wappingers Falls, where Naqvi was a charter member.

Brig. Gen. Bill Phillips of the Army’s honor detail presented Naqvi’s family with his Purple Heart, a Bronze Star, his Combat Infantry Badge and his dog tags. He lauded Naqvi’s service to the United States.

“He served his Army with great distinction,” he said. “He was a real patriot.”